The Michigan Hickory Golf Tour schedules one event in the Toledo area each year. This year the Toledo Area Hickory Open will be played at Stone Ridge Golf Course on Sunday.
Approximately 20 golfers from across Michigan and northern Ohio will be competing with their hickory-shafted clubs wearing their plus-fours and argyle socks.
Most will be playing with authentic clubs that are approximately 100 years old. They stopped making these clubs in the early 1930s. Rather than being numbered, they had names for the various lofts — niblicks, mashies, mid irons, jiggers, brassie, spoon, etc.
Most golfers competing are in their 60s and 70s, a few are younger. First tee at Stone Ridge is 12:30 p.m.
As an added attraction, a couple of groups will be playing earlier that day in a nine-hole gutty-ball event at Bowling Green Country Club. These players will be using clubs made before 1900 and hitting a gutty percha ball, originally created from the dried sap of the Sapodilla tree. The arrival of this ball revolutionized the game of golf and allowed its spread to the masses.
First tee time at Bowling Green Country Club is 10 a.m.
Spectators are welcome to come early to examine the clubs used by competitors and watch them hit practice balls and tee off on hole number one at each course.
For further information contact Bill Tucholski at [email protected].
